No Way Out
by Leithriel
Summary: I had known since the beginning that this was how it would all end. I had always known that there was no way out for me. And I was fine with that. I still am fine with that.
1. Throne of Lies

Everything had come full circle, I knew that much.

The ship - A Marine vessel - was filled with hustle and bustle with people rushing to perform some last minute tasks.

And each time they passed me by, they cast wary glances at me. It was like they were scared that I would jump them and bite their heads off. If you asked me, it was a silly notion, considering that I was tied to a chair with thick chains made of sea-stone.

Then again, I had quite the infamous reputation, so they were probably afraid I would do something to get myself out of this predicament. I almost chortled, but held myself back. There was no way that they would appreciate it, and they had extended me the invitation to come aboard their ship, so the least I could do was respect their hospitality.

A man - Vice Admiral Onigumo, from the looks of it - approached me with brisk and determined gait. He inspected the chains. Upon realizing that they were still strong enough, he nodded, satisfied.

"We'll be arriving at your final destination in approximately two hours." he informed me "I trust the accommodations are to your liking?"

I chuckled. So he had a sense of humor.

"They are indeed." I said wryly "You went through the trouble of letting me sit on such a nice throne. Then again, I am technically royalty, all things considered. Though I have to say that I wouldn't be disappointed if those chains were to go."

"Get used to them." Onigumo said sharply "You'll be spending the rest of your life in those."

"You are making quite a spectacle of this, aren't you?" I noted

"Indeed we are." Onigumo admitted "Though to be perfectly honest, your death has more of an impact than that of a common scallywag."

"Congratulations, you learned to talk like a pirate." I deadpanned

Onigumo scoffed before turning around and shouting orders to lower-ranked Marines, leaving me to my own devices. Not that I had any, being chained to a chair like I was.

I passed the time by staring at the fishes that jumped out of the ocean every once in a while.

Because that was the kind of thing frequently done by prisoners sentenced to die, right?

...

I sighed internally.

Guess I was more insane than I thought.


	2. Infamy

Vice Admirals Momonga and Onigumo walked in front of me, holding their heads high, their chests swelling with pride. I walked behind them, several steps apart from them, my gaze firmly focused on the ground. Each of them held one end of the chain in his hands. As we walked on, everyone gawked at us. Hushed whispers followed us as we walked, and I could already guess what they were saying. In the end, all my efforts to escape the shadows were futile. The world would never see me as me.

Then, I was thrown in a cell and the doors locked behind me. Onigumo and Momonga had departed, and I was left in my own personal hell. It was rather dark in this place, but I could still see the outline of another man on the mattress opposite mine. I made myself look as small as possible. Maybe with luck, they won't know who I was. I sighed. There was no use denying the obvious. Momonga and Onigumo probably chose to impart that tidbit of knowledge upon my fellow prisoners.

Sure enough, a nervous voice broke the silence, asking the Question in an innocent tone. So I resorted to an ingrained response: I glared at him, complete with a scowl. I heard an almost inaudible gulp, and there were no more questions of that nature.

Days passed by. They were all the same, with the same boring routine. We would get up, be given breakfast - which consisted of piece of stale bread and an unidentified goop - and then were largely left alone. The kind of prison we were in was different than a normal one. We were all death-row prisoners, bound to die at some point or another. So we were forbidden from going out or socializing with one another. Come to think of it, similar rules were interposed in Impel Down. Not that anyone could leave Impel Down.

What the Marines didn't know was that we didn't follow the 'no socializing' rule. And due to circumstances, I was the center of my fellow death row prisoners attention. I didn't really fancy having my secret - the secret which I've kept locked away for nearly thirteen years - be exposed like this. There were exceptions, of course, but they were few and far in between. What I didn't realize what that this would be another exception. A fellow prisoner - an old man - took a liking to me and decided to take me under his wing. Not that it would change anything though. We were both set to die in less than ten days.

"Do you have any person you love?" he asked me one day "Romantically, I mean."

"Only one." I answered cautiously "But we're from different worlds. We can never be together, especially not now. She is a Marine, and I am a pirate. She has her whole life ahead of her, and I do not."

He smiled slyly at me.

"You'd be suprised. Love can do anything and everything to a person experiencing it." he smiled "I have certain connections within the Marines, and I suspect you do too. We can use those to find your girl."

As if on cue, the sound of heavy metal doors opened. A man stepped through. But it wasn't just any man. It was Vice Admiral Garp.

My mouth suddenly went dry. I hid myself in the corner, allowing the darkness to hide me from him.

"I know you are there!" he called out, picking his nose

I stepped forward reluctantly. I knew he wouldn't leave until he saw me. He held a large bag in his right hand, and he handed it over to me without a word. When I opened it, I was suprised by the wide assortment of delicious food inside. There was even a dessert.

"I'm raiding the Marine kitchen." Garp admitted "I thought you'd enjoy this kind of food more than what they give you."

I felt two expectant gazes on me, imploring me to ask the Question.

"Is Isuka here?" I asked, almost nonchalantly

"Yes." Garp nodded "Everyone who is anyone is here. We have gathered to ensure your execution goes smoothly."

And I saw that a flicker of something passed over his face. Some kind of regret, maybe?

He stood up and walked towards the door.

"I'll get her to come." Garp whispered so only I could hear "I promise. The least I could do is let the two of you say your final goodbyes."

And I knew. I knew that he wasn't doing it for Isuka. He was doing it for me.

He turned around and walked out, the heavy doors sliding shut behind him. I was left alone in the darkness once again. Darkness which I couldn't escape from. Not this time. The world would keep on moving, without me in it. And despite everything, that thought made me sad.


End file.
